Compressed-air water elevator



Feb. 11, 1930. G, W, MlLLER 1,747,141

coMPREssED AIR WATER ELEvAToR Original Filed April 21, 1927 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W. MILLER, OF WAGONER, OKLAHOMA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO D. L. LOHRENZ, `OE VCI-BIITA, KANSAS COMPRESSED-AIR WATER ELEVATOR Application led April 21, 1927, Serial No. 185,417. Renewed December 24, 1929.

This invention relates to a system for raising liquids from wells by means of gaseous iiuids such as air, gas or steam under pressure. Hereinafter the fluid for raising the liquids, for example water, will be referred to as air with the understanding that gas or steam is a full equivalent.

The fluid pressure for raising the liquid may be so controlled that it will be cut off when a tank or tanks in the bottom of a well is accumulating the liquid and after the accumulation takes place pressure is admitted to the tank or tanks that forces the liquid to the surface, that is above the ground.

The novelty of the invention will be understood better, by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

F ig. 1 is aI sectional view through a well in which my invention is installed, the mechanism being shown in elevation, parts being broken away in the wall of the lower tank.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the pressure fluid controlling mechanism, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the valves showing the seating ring attached thereto.

Referring, now, to the drawings by numerals of reference, 1 designates the well. A motor 2 is shown in Fig. 1 for driving a compressor 3 for supplying fiuid, for example air, to a pipe 4 discharging through branch pipes 5 and 6 into lthe valve casings 7 and 8. (See Fig. 2.) These valve casings are supported in a suitable manner preferably by the meter 9. ln the valve casing 7 is a chamber 10 into which the fluid, under pressure from the branch 5, passes. The chamber 10 is adapted to communicate with the valve casing through an opening surrounded by a valve seat 11. The casing 7 has an exhaust port 12 through which the casing may exhaust to atmosphere. rlhe exhaust port 12 has a valve seat 13. The valve casing 7 has a iuid pressure exhaust port` 14 communicating with a conduit 15 shown as a pipe which discharges into a closed tank 16 at the bottom of the well. The tank 16 has an inwardly opening valve 17' in its bottom. There is a discharge pipe 18 extending into the tank to a point slightly above the bottom of the tank and it has an outwardly opening check valve 19, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The pipe 19 is really a branch of the pipe 20 which discharges into the water meter 9. lThe water meter may be of any appropriate construction and water passing through it will discharge into pipe 21 which may be connected to any. suitable source of consumption. Within the valve casing 7 are two valves 22 and 23 for the valve seats 11 and 13 respectively. These are connected by a U-shaped bar 24 and each valve is provided with an enlargement, respectively designated 25 and 26, the diameters of which are co-extensive with the openings surrounded by the valve seats 11 and 13. The part 26 on valve 23 has an extension or arm 27 with an outstanding linger 28, the purpose of which will be presently explained. Each valve 22 and 23 is provided with a collar 29 having a ring 30 of fibrous material, such as vulcanizing asbestos, so that it will seat into air closing position and hold the air-better than I think possible where two metallic surfaces are seated one upon the other.

The valve casing 8 has an inlet port 31 discharging into a chamber 32 communicating with the interior of the Casing 8 through a port surrounded by a valve seat 33. The casing 8 has an exhaust port 34 similar to the exhaust port 12 and a pipe 25 leads from the casing 8 to a tank 36 in the same manner that the pipe 15 leads into the tank 16. A discharge pipe 37, similar to pipe 18, leads from tank 36 into pipe 20. The pipe 37 has a check valve 38. The casing 8 has valves 39 and 40 similar to valves 22 and 23 and they are connected by a member 41 corresponding to member 24. An arm or projection 42, in line with arm or projection 27, has an upstanding linger 43.

The meter 9 drives a gear wheel 44 in mesh with the gear wheels 45 and 46. The gear wheels 45 and 46 carry arms 47 and 48 adapted to Contact with the lingers 28 and 43 respectively.

TWhen the parts are assembled, air from the compressor delivered to pipe 4 will pass into chamber 10 through the openings surrounded by valve seat 11 vinto pipe 15 to put air pressure on top of the liquid in tank 16, it being understood that water has flowed into the tank 16 by unseating the valve 17. It will be apparentl that t-he air pressure will accumulate to force liquid through pipe 18 into pipe 2O through meter 9 and out through pipe 21. During this time the valve 17 is closed. As the meter turns, the gear 44 will be turned until at about the time the tank 16 is exhausted, the gear 44 will have turned the arm 48 to start to close the exhaust valve 40 and unseat valve 39 by contacting with finger 43 and because finger 43 is in line with linger 28, exhaust valve 13 will start to unseat and valve 22 will move to seating position. The parts corresponding to and 26 on valves 22, 23, 39 and 40 are of such lengths that the exhaust valves will close 0E the exhaust ports before the inlet valves 22 or 39 unseat and vice versa. So after valve 22 seats or immediately7 thereafter, the exhaust port 12 will be open. The exhaust port 34 will be closed and the port surrounded by valve seat 33 will be uncovered. Then air will pass through pipe 35 to tank 36 forcing out water which has entered tank 36 through the opening adapted to be closed by valve 49 corresponding to valve 17 in tank 16. The water in tank 36 will pass into pipe 2O through meter 9 to pipe 21.

It will be seen that the mechanisms in valve easings 7 and 8 are duplicates but alternatel operate Yto supply an cut off air or other fluit under pressure for the tank 16 and 36 and that the gears are so arranged that they are timed to operate their respective valve mechanisms at about the time that the tank is exhausted. The arms 47 and 48 are long enough to wipe the respective lingers 28 and 43 so that the gears 45 and 46 can be rotated. Of course, when the valve 22 is seated and valve 23 is unseated, the accumulated air pressure in tank 16 will exhaust through port 12 so that there will be no resistance to water entering the tank. Then valve 40 is unseated and valve 39 is seated, air from tank 36 will exhaust to atmosphere.

It will be apparent that all the parts of the mechanism beyond the air compressor is entirely automatic, being controlled by the flow of water through the meter.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A compressed air water elevator comprising a tank having an air inlet, a water inlet, a water outlet and an air outlet, an air pipe leading to the air inlet, a water pipe leading from the water outlet, a valve for the air inlet. a valve for the air outlet, a rigid connection between the two valves, means for simultaneously operating the valves so that the air outlet valve unseats just after the air inlet valve is closed and vice versa.

2. A compressed air water elevator comprising a tank having an air inlet, a Water inlet, a water outlet and anair outlet, an air pipe leading to the air inlet, a water pipe leading from the water outlet, a valve for the air inlet, a valve for the air outlet, a rigid connection between the two valves, means for simultaneously operating the valves so that the air outlet valve unseats just after the air inlet valve is closed and vice versa, the air inlet valve being held in seated and unseated position by air pressure within the tank.

3. A compressed air water elevator comprising a tank having an air inlet, a water inlet, a water outletand an air outlet, an air pipe leading to the air inlet, a water pipe leading from the water outlet, a valve for the air inlet, a valve for the air outlet, a rigid connection between the two valves, means for simultaneously operating the valves so that the air outlet valve unseats just after the air inlet valve is closed and vice versa, the air inlet valve being held in seated and unseated position by air pressure within the tank, and the air outlet valve being held in seated position b air within the tank.

4. compressed air water elevator comprising a tank having an air inlet, av water inlet, a water outlet and an air outlet, an air pipe leading to the air inlet, a water pipe leading from the water outlet, a valve for the air inlet, a valve for the air outlet, a rigid connection between the two valves, means for simultaneously operating the valves so that the air outlet valve unseats ust after the air inlet valve is closed and vice versa, the air inlet valve and the air outlet valve having fibrous portions for contact with the edges of the openings which they are adapted to close.

5. A compressed air water elevator comprising a tank having an air inlet, a water inlet, a water outlet and an air outlet, an air pipe leading to the air inlet, a water pipe leading from the water outlet, a valve for the air inlet, a valve for the air outlet, two rigidly connected stems fastened to the two valves, each stem having a portion of its length with a cross-section substantially equal to the inlet or outlet, as the case may be, through which it passes so that both the air inletand the air outlet will be closed for a short time during the simultaneous movements of the valve stems and means for moving the valve stems to unseat one valve and seat the other valve.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE WV. MILLER. 

